BDBE 20

Chapter 20 Hug Me

In the end, Shen Wanchao still won the last round. 

Although Zhou Mingchen said he didn’t need to win, since he had the ability to win, why not? 

Just as Zhou Mingchen refused to hold back against Shen Wanchao, who wasn’t even familiar with the controller, Shen Wanchao wouldn’t give up a victory he could easily obtain just because it wasn’t necessary. 

Zhou Mingchen was unwilling to give up and insisted on playing another round, but Huo Yun, who had returned from work, urgently stopped him. 

“We finally came to the mountains to play, and you bunch of brats are still hiding inside playing games.” Huo Yun’s face was full of disapproval. “Quickly turn off the game and go out for some fresh air. Haven’t you played enough at home?” 

Zhou Mingchen and Huo Tingsong were still eager for more, but under the pressure of his authority, they had no choice but to obey. 

Only Shen Wanchao truly breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Are you feeling unwell? Should you see a doctor?” 

Zhou Hui had appeared before Shen Wanchao without him noticing, and asked with concern upon seeing his flushed cheeks.

Shen Wanchao had felt dizzy and lightheaded since finishing his meal. The day’s high was only 18 degrees Celsius, and he was only wearing a single shirt, yet he still felt hot. 

But since they were out having fun, Shen Wanchao didn’t want to cause trouble, so he shook his head: “I was too focused on playing games, I’m a little short of breath. I’ll go back and sleep for a while.” 

He got up and walked towards the door. 

Zhou Hui didn’t suspect anything and didn’t ask any further questions, letting him go back to his room to rest. 

Shen Wanchao felt his legs were as heavy as lead as he climbed the stairs. Finally back in his room, he collapsed onto the bed, too weak even to cover himself with a blanket. 

Before falling asleep, Shen Wanchao’s last thought was: 

Oh no, could I really be sick? 

…

The resort had several standard tennis courts, which guests could use free of charge. 

Zhou Hui frequently played tennis, and Zhou Mingchen, having followed him from being a caddy to a sparring partner, gradually picked it up over the years. Huo Tingsong, on the other hand, had been enrolled in various extracurricular classes by Yu Yangui since childhood, and naturally, he hadn’t missed out on tennis, a sport that was both beneficial to mind and body and exuded sophistication. 

After one game, Zhou Mingchen, personally taught by his father, lost to Huo Tingsong, coached by a professional instructor. 

The two sat on a bench by the court, drinking water. 

“Hey, why didn’t you let me win?” Zhou Mingchen tightened the bottle cap, and looked at Huo Tingsong with a smile. 

Huo Tingsong immediately understood what he meant, but he wouldn’t admit it, “Who are you? Why would I let you win?” 

Zhou Mingchen punched him on the shoulder, “Stop pretending. You let Shen Chao win on purpose during the game. Do you think I’m blind?” 

Huo Tingsong rubbed his shoulder with a bright smile, and admitted, “He’s just learning how to play. I let him win so he’d find it interesting and want to keep playing.” 

“Just because of that?” Zhou Mingchen didn’t believe him. “Isn’t it because you have ulterior motives?” 

“Damn.” Huo Tingsong couldn’t stop laughing, “So many Omegas have been flirting with you since middle school and you’ve been unmoved. I thought you were just slow-witted!” 

“I’m just not interested in dating, I’m not slow-witted.” Zhou Mingchen nudged him with his elbow, “Hey, tell me the truth, do you really want to be my aunt?” 

“Aunt?” Huo Tingsong was stunned, then slapped him, “Are you fucking crazy!” 

“Shen Chao is my uncle.” Zhou Mingchen jumped up to avoid him. “If you’re with him, wouldn’t you be my aunt?” 

Huo Tingsong rolled his eyes and retorted, “If I’m with Shen Chao, you’ll have to call me uncle.” 

“If you don’t mind me calling you old, I don’t mind calling you uncle either.” Zhou Mingchen was quite nonchalant. 

Huo Tingsong understood his attitude from his words and was a little surprised: “Huh? I thought you would object to me pursuing him.” 

“I wholeheartedly support you.” Zhou Mingchen actually raised his hands. “If you’re willing, I can even help you.” 

Huo Tingsong chuckled, and then he understood the reason for Zhou Mingchen’s attitude. 

“You support me pursuing Shen Chao because you’re afraid of him and your father…?” 

Huo Tingsong lowered his voice. 

Zhou Mingchen’s tall figure was backlit, his entire face hidden in shadow, making it difficult to see his expression. 

He didn’t give a clear answer, only asking, “Stop beating around the bush, just one word: are you going to pursue him or not?” 

Huo Tingsong wasn’t one to pry, nor did he care what Zhou Mingchen’s motives were for helping him. To him, as long as the goal was achieved, those details were negligible. 

He also stood up, walked to Zhou Mingchen, and said with an air of confidence, “Why not? Of course I should pursue someone I like.” 

… 

The heavy curtains in the room created a dark and comfortable space. 

Shen Wanchao slept until eight o’clock in the evening and showed no signs of waking up. 

The others had already eaten dinner and were sitting in the courtyard drinking tea and chatting for a long time, but Shen Wanchao was still nowhere to be seen. Zhou Hui finally couldn’t hold back and came to look for him. 

Zhou Hui knocked on the door, but received no response, so he pushed the door open and went in. As soon as he opened the door, a light, but very strong mint scent assaulted his nostrils. 

It smelled almost the same as ordinary ​visit our site​mint candy, but any Alpha could tell it was the scent of an Omega. 

This indicated that the Omega in the room had suddenly entered heat and released pheromones to summon his partner. 

Shen Wanchao was asleep on the bed, face down, not even covered by a blanket, oblivious to the scent filling the room. 

In an instant, Zhou Hui’s expression darkened, and bloodshot veins appeared in his eyes. 

A month ago, Shen Wanchao disappeared, saying he was going abroad to relax.

The mark had suddenly vanished, causing abnormal fluctuations in his pheromones, plunging Zhou Hui into a week-long period of heightened sensitivity. He had taken numerous medications and injections to barely recover, but even now his pheromone levels were unstable, requiring daily morning medication. 

Now, suddenly affected by the Omega’s pheromones, the same familiar, intimate scent he once knew, Zhou Hui’s ability to maintain his composure and not immediately go to mark Shen Wanchao was astonishing. 

Zhou Hui entered the room and locked the door behind him. 

Zhou Hui realized that Shen Wanchao wasn’t sleeping peacefully when he approached the bedside. His face was contorted in discomfort, red, and sweat soaked his disheveled hair, which was matted together like seaweed. His lips, however, were alarmingly pale. He was vulnerable and uncomfortable due to a sudden heat wave. His side-lying position left his slender neck and glands, completely exposed. To an Alpha, it looked no different from a ripe peach with a “pick and enjoy” sign. 

Zhou Hui closed his eyes briefly, sighed, and mentally reviewed the cold message Shen Xiaotu had sent before they parted. He suppressed his agitation and approached again.

“Wake up.” The Alpha placed a hand on Shen Wanchao’s shoulder and shook him. 

Shen Wanchao wasn’t a heavy sleeper; his eyelashes fluttered twice, and he slowly woke up as soon as he felt the movement.

A wave of heat suddenly rushed through his mind, making it impossible for him to think [visit our site]rationally. Seeing that the person in front of him was his husband of many years, his guard crumbled before it could even rise. 

Shen Wanchao had long forgotten that he was still pretending to be a high school student. His voice was soft, tinged with complaint: “That awful heat… I have to ask for leave again.” 

Zhou Hui held his breath for a moment. His rationality was like a rope suspending a thousand-pound weight. It snapped, leaving only the last thin thread taut. 

“I’ll ask the housekeeper to bring the suppressant.” 

Zhou Hui heard his own voice trembling. 

He said this, but Zhou Hui didn’t move. The tall Alpha remained motionless by the bed, his shadow enveloping Shen Wanchao. 

Shen Wanchao was momentarily stunned by the word “suppressant”.

Then he softly said a sentence that almost extinguished Zhou Hui’s last shred of reason: “Why do I need suppressants? I don’t want injections, can’t you help me?” 

As he spoke, Shen Wanchao knelt up and opened his arms to Zhou Hui: “Hold me.” 

Shen Wanchao and Zhou Hui grew up together, and after their first stirrings of love, they became engaged. Except for the initial few not-quite-official heat cycles, Zhou Hui had been by Shen Wanchao’s side every time. Whenever he needed him, Zhou Hui would be there. 

Therefore, suppressants were a foreign concept to Shen Wanchao; he didn’t need them and never carried them with him. 

His first reaction to a heat cycle wouldn’t be to inject suppressants, but to seek help from his partner. 

Zhou Hui knelt on the bed, instantly closing the distance between them. 

The originally cool but monotonous mint scent in the room was subtly infused with a calm and soothing ebony fragrance, one sweet, the other heavy, distinct yet inextricably intertwined, drawing the entire room into a humid sea of pheromones. 

Zhou Hui lowered his head and whispered in Shen Wanchao’s ear, “Remember when I said I had something to tell you tonight?” 

Shen Wanchao blinked, he couldn’t understand what the Alpha was talking about; his mind was completely occupied by the ebony scent in his nostrils. 

“Although you’re not fully conscious now, I know you’ll remember when you wake up. You always remember.” Zhou Hui’s voice was deep. “The person in that photo is indeed me and Secretary Han, but there’s nothing between us.” 

Just as Zhou Hui said, Shen Wanchao hadn’t completely lost his mind. 

A glint of clarity appeared in his eyes after hearing the word “photo.” 

“That night, Secretary Han was drunk, and I helped him up, that’s all. But someone deliberately chose a good angle to take a picture, which made it seem like a misunderstanding.” 

Zhou Hui’s gaze fell on Shen Wanchao’s eyes, the tip of his nose, and finally his lips. 

“I know you’re hurt by this.” Zhou Hui said as he carefully observed the expression on the person in front of him. “I should have explained it to you a long time ago, but I…” 

I just wanted to use this to test whether you still loved me. 

Our relationship had been stable and quiet for too long, and you were often too far away from me, which forced me to test you in this way. Seeing you angry about it made me despicably happy. 

Will you think I’m childish? 

The photo appeared more than a month ago. 

It could be described as ambiguous, but upon closer inspection, it was just two people standing a little close, hardly indicating anything substantial. 

Zhou Hui didn’t pay much attention at first, but later, when Secretary Han asked, he realized the photographer had sent the photo to more than just him. 

So Zhou Hui had someone investigate, but the only result was that the phone number was registered in a small, politically unstable, and laxly managed country, making it impossible to pinpoint the individual. 

Fortunately, after some investigation, Zhou Hui confirmed that only he, Shen Wanchao, Secretary Han, and his and Shen Wanchao’s parents had received the photo. 

Secretary Han knew the truth since he was involved. 

Zhou Hui simply explained to their parents that it was a dirty trick by a competitor. 

Those who received the photos wouldn’t actively spread the news, yet rumors of unknown origin still proliferated like bacteria. 

Zhou Hui found it difficult to deny the rumors circulating in the shadows. He could have decided to, but he ultimately chose to shelve it, only controlling the matter to prevent it from appearing in any media. 

Among outsiders, only Huo Yun had directly asked Zhou Hui about it today 

… Ultimately, it was all his fault. 

Zhou Hui closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, his gaze even more earnest: “I just wanted to use this method to verify [stolen content]if you still care about me.” 

“I’m sorry.” Zhou Hui reached out to stroke Shen Wanchao’s cheek, “I made you sad…” 

Before he could finish speaking, that supple body had already moved closer, its arms tightly encircling the Alpha’s neck. 

Their chests pressed together, their heartbeats resonating. 

Had he forgiven him? 

Zhou Hui’s previously racing heart finally calmed down a little. 

Shen Wanchao buried his face in Zhou Hui’s neck, took a deep breath, and then said, 

“Uncle, why are you telling me this?” 

Zhou Hui hadn’t even had time to savor the long-awaited embrace of his lover when he was caught off guard by these words. 

He snapped back to reality, grabbed Shen Wanchao’s shoulders, pulled him away, and stared at his face in disbelief. 

The first time he saw this face, exactly like his husband’s in his youth, Zhou Hui had guessed the other’s true identity. 

Although he didn’t know what methods Shen Wanchao had used to look 18 – makeup, beauty treatments, or other high-tech methods – Zhou Hui became increasingly certain of his judgment with each passing day. 

Not to mention that Shen Wanchao couldn’t help but ask him about his thoughts on the divorce. 

Zhou Hui had come today because he believed Shen Chao was Shen Wanchao. 

Until this moment, Shen Wanchao’s words made him doubt for the first time whether everything he had previously believed was just an illusion. 

“You…” 

Seeing Zhou Hui’s surprised and flustered expression, Shen Wanchao knew his prank had been a great success. 

Then, he hugged Zhou Hui again. 

He said, “Zhou Hui, how old are you this year? How come you’re even more gullible than Xiao Chen?”